Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And thank you for coming.
I still have some of my original questions on the supplementary estimates. I've had some concerns about some of the testimony I've heard here today, including some of the inconsistencies in the answers to some of my colleagues' questions. Around the disability tax credit, there is a lot of frustration at this committee with the information that has come forward in testimony, and the discrepancies between the information supplied to committee and the information that has come out afterwards.
When Mr. Kelly started discussing the disability tax credit, he referenced the potential thousands—if I'm paraphrasing correctly—of reviews. Then when Mr. Julian asked how many reviews there were, you couldn't provide an answer. However, when Mr. Kelly asked about the thousands of reviews, heads were nodding, but there was no confirmation of whether that was accurate or not. I'm not questioning their line of questioning, but how can this committee feel reassured about the numbers you're allocating if, from your responses to two questioners, I don't know if the agency understands how big a problem this is. When we previously heard testimony on the disability tax credit, we were told by CRA officials that there was not an increase, but that we wouldn't know until the files were manually looked at. Then here today, again, there's a difference in the numbers. So which is it?
The other thing is it was stated that if more resources are needed if it turns our that thousands of disability tax credit applications were rejected.... We were told that that wasn't the case, but if it turns out that it is the case, you said today that resources would be allocated, and then also that, no, there are reserves. So which is it? If there are reserves that's one thing, but if it's a reallocation.... The CRA is arm's length in terms of the minister's ability to oversee some of these things. If funds are being reallocated and it's not at the discretion of the minister but at the discretion of the agency, don't you think Canadians deserve to know where those reallocations would come from. I wouldn't want to see a reallocation of funds from another program, and it's not something that the minister has discretion over. Unless you understand the scope of the problem, how can you properly prepare to fix the problem and provide testimony to this committee saying it's reallocation or reserves, because those or two extremely different things?